LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8377, 25 July 1905, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The freight on wheat to London has been reduced to 15s.

A very handsome brooch and a purses of sovereigns were presented to Miss Mary Sheehan on the occasion, of her severing her connection with the Criterion Hotel.

Tho " Hawke's Bay Herald " is credibly intormed that there is no foundation for the statement mad© by a "Wellington business man, through the col* umns of the "Evening Post," that trawling has driven flounders from Hawse's Bay waters. Any present scarcity of fish in these waters (says th« " flerald ") ip entirely due to the unusually wet season and the disturbed state of the water. The fact that this scarcity of flounders is general, and not local, goes to confirm this view, since the weather in most parts of the COtoflJl has been exceptional this winter.

A meeting to further the interests of tree-planting -on Arbor Day, as suggested at the last meeting of the East Ghristchuroh School Committee, wa| held last night. Mr J. R. Brunt wa« appointed chairman, and Messrs W. Smith and J. H. Wilkinson, joint sec* retaries- It was proposed to plant suit* able trees on Arbor Day along the Go-, vernor's Bay Road. It is considered that no difficulty will be found in ob-« taining the trees for the schoolboys pa plant, but a sum will be required to suitably protect them after planting. To obtain this a popular concert is suggest-* ed, to be held on the night of August It (Arbor Day), at which items will b« given by eohool children, assisted by friends. Another md&ting will shortly ho heftl, when the plans will be further developed. It is expected that squada o£ boys from the principal schools will take part.

A Christehur-ch shopkeeper was approached by the authorities, who de-T sired that he should close his premises, according to law,. on Thursday afternoon. The foiling is a letter wtitten by the shopkeeper in reply:—"After carefully thinking the matter over I have decided - not to do- bo, as X think my duty is towards my creditors before obeying any unjust laws that have beftn passed. Any citizen, to Ije a credit to the country, should do his best to pay his debts before all other considerations. The Government will not pay my debts if I am unable to do so, therefore, as a man, I should resist any encroaohment on my liberty as* a British subject when I am trying, in an honest manner, to fulfil my engagements. If I am wrong in my decision, and brought into Court over this matter. I will have to pay the penalty, and this will simply mean one more stet> in ray decision to leave this fair lan 3, where laws are made to , harass business men and drive capital ou* of the country."

Fur Goods.— Tonks, Norton and Go, advortise in this issue an extensive sal» of Ladies' Fur Capes, Collarettes, Muffs. Boas, etc., also a large assortment, of Carriage Rugs and BedHspreads. Th« sale takes place in their rooms to-mor-ro*, at one o'clock. 60